A few weeks ago my friend Kate Armstrong, the Urban Forager, made a house call. We wanted to get together and she came to do a neighborhood walk to find and point out purslane and sorrel that had eluded us on our May Urban Foraging walk in Denver. It was very fun to have her personally scour my yard and giving me an excuse to let all my weeds go; after all they might be edible!
I did learn that a big patch of something that looked purposeful in my raised vegetable bed was plantain, Kate’s favorite edible/medicinal (she actually plants it to get enough). She demonstrated the art of gently severing the vascular system of the leaves by gently snapping the stem and wiggling the leaf from stringy inner attachments rendering the leaves pliable and ready to be used for something like a wrap (as in food wrap). We found a tiny patch of sorrel in the corner of the lawn. Burgundy colored clover-like leaves produce a lemony tang great for salads. There were still tender dandelion greens and salsify root (but not the kind with the white flower whose root tastes like oysters). Love finding these tender, useful greens I’ve always looked at as the bane of my existence, now as the highlight of my salads.
I’d put together an eclectic spread for a languishing lunch on the back deck. Majorcan Sobrasada sausage picked up in Santa Fe, Mangalitsa Lardo from Cure Organic Farms, Mead from local meadery Medovina, organic breakfast radishes, freshly picked strawberries, freshly home baked gluten free bread with hemp and chia seeds and a selection of gourmet mustards; all things I knew Kate would savor.
I was going to throw together a simple salad with vinaigrette made from my home-fermented wine vinegar when Kate intervened. ‘Do you have watermelon?’ Yes. ‘Goat cheese?’ Yes, local chevre from Haystack Mountain Dairy. She tipped me off to her extended family’s favorite summer salad staple, thanks to her daughter Amy Pankenier. I threw pieced it together at her instruction and now it is MY favorite warm weather salad. Maybe it will become yours!
Fresh and clean, this salad has ample mouth watering flavors, is cooling and not heavy though filling. In 100 years I would not have put goat cheese and watermelon together for anything other than execution of a dare. It’s fantastic.
Teresa says
Hey that was good, thanks!
Rebecca from Chow and Chatter says
wow love this salad and wow we could all learn so much from her
Jenny (VintageSugarcube) says
What a fantastic salad idea. I would not have thought to combine the two, but I'm totally trying that one for the next potluck I attend. I think this will be a crowd wowzer!! Looks like your summer is going great. Love reading your stories. 🙂
SweetSavoryPlanet says
This looks nice. I am such a watermelon and goat cheese fan.
la domestique says
What a fun little backyard adventure! Love watermelon/goat cheese combo- tomato mixes in nicely too. Happy summer foraging!
Rita D K Simmons says
Wow, that looks delicious, will have to try this soon,you've been buzzed!
Barbara | Creative Culinary says
I admit…I've had the two mixed in a salad recently. Everyone seems to be on a feta and watermelon kick but I have a fridge full of goat cheeses sent to me so I've been using them a LOT! Now for that foraging thing…I guess I should look and see if the weeds in my yard have some value. I'm still of the mind that they are weeds and I want them gone. It's true; don't hate me. 🙂
Amy says
I love this combination of watermelon and goat cheese! Lovely summer salad, and it sounds delicious!
Lizzy says
I'm so glad Kate shared this lovely salad with you! It looks amazing, Toni~
marla says
Such a delightful sweet & savory salad.
Jennifurla says
I must try this, I normally only see feta with watermelon but I love goat cheese a billion times more.
Angie's Recipes says
A very beautiful fresh summery salad!
Colleen - the AmAzINg Mrs. B says
YUMMAGE ALERT! Wow..this looks amazing! Thanks!
Erin says
Great summer salad! Wonderful use of summer produce!
Cooking with Michele says
I think I have purslane growing in my alley near my mint – but need someone to confirm that's what it is before I eat it! And I also make a watermelon salad like this, but I add heirloom tomatoes to it and some thinly sliced red onions. Delicious!
Carolyn says
Wow, this salad looks wonderful and so perfect for summer's bounty of produce!